Apartment Woes
by Enraa-Smilejack
Summary: Seeking to 'start new' after ending a six year relationship, Kai moves into his seemingly perfect new apartment. Perfect, that is, until he realizes his landlord is none other than Johnny McGregor, one of his biggest rivals back in their blading days. Catching up seems fun at first, but inevitably tempers fly. After all, mixing fire with fire just makes a bigger flame.


" _Look, I don't know how it happened... It just... Did."_

" _If you weren't happy, you could have just told me."_

" _It's not that I wasn't happy, Kai! I just... I don't know... Fell for someone else."_

" _Hn..."_

" _We're still friends though, right Kai...?"_

 _Kai?_

"Kai?" Spencer's voice cut through his daydream and Kai just frowned.

"What." He sighed, setting the box of dishes he'd been carrying down onto his counter in front of Tala.

"Jeez, you're snippy. I thought you liked this place?" Bryan griped, adjusting his hold on the box he was carrying into the living room.

"He's probably thinking of Max again..." Tala said, passing some plates up to Ian to be put away into the cupboards.

"OOOOOOH yeah!" A few mumbled curses erupted from behind the entertainment stand as Bryan tried to untangle a few wires. "Still not over that yet?"

"It's only been a week, Bryan." Spencer pointed out as he maneuvered a mattress into the bedroom.

"I know but the little asshole cheated on him. I'd sure as shit be over him after just a week and be off finding someone better."

Tala scoffed. "Not everyone is as cold as you, Asshole." He turned to Kai with a sympathetic look. "He just needs some time. Besides, we'll be around plenty as you get settled in and to help keep your mind off of him."

"That really won't be necessary." Kai assured the redhead. The last thing he needed was Bryan or Ian in his apartment 24/7. Surely he'd be evicted within the month.

" _Look, I don't know how it happened... It just... Did."_

" _If you weren't happy, you could have just told me."_

" _It's not that I wasn't happy, Kai! I just... I don't know... Fell for someone else."_

" _Hn..."_

" _We're still friends though, right Kai...?"_

 _Kai?_

"Kai?" Spencer's voice cut through his daydream and Kai just frowned.

"What." He sighed, setting the box of dishes he'd been carrying down onto his counter in front of Tala.

"Jeez, you're snippy. I thought you liked this place?" Bryan griped, adjusting his hold on the box he was carrying into the living room.

"He's probably thinking of Max again..." Tala said, passing some plates up to Ian to be put away into the cupboards.

"OOOOOOH yeah!" A few mumbled curses erupted from behind the entertainment stand as Bryan tried to untangle a few wires. "Still not over that yet?"

"It's only been a week, Bryan." Spencer pointed out as he maneuvered a mattress into the bedroom.

"I know but the little asshole cheated on him. I'd sure as shit be over him after just a week and be off finding someone better."

Tala scoffed. "Not everyone is as cold as you, Asshole." He turned to Kai with a sympathetic look. "He just needs some time. Besides, we'll be around plenty as you get settled in and to help keep your mind off of him."

"That _really_ won't be necessary." Kai assured the redhead. The last thing he needed was Bryan or Ian in his apartment 24/7. Surely he'd be evicted within the month.

"Hey what's wrong with having us here all the time, huh? We'd make a _great_ addition!" Bryan exclaimed jovially.

"Yeah!" Ian chimed in, and Tala smiled broadly.

Kai squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers and exhaled. That was not happening. Ever. He took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found the desired name and started towards the door. "I need to make a call. Be back in a few."

Once the youngest Russian left the room, Spencer frowned as he emerged from the bedroom. "Do you think he'll be okay here by himself? I don't think he's taking this split well."

Tala shrugged, leaning on the counter. "I don't know. He plays that cold front so much it's hard to tell how he really feels about it."

"It is a shame though. I'm gonna miss Max." Spencer sighed, and Tala nodded.

"Agreed. The little shit fit right in." Bryan added, trying to untangle a few more wires. "Give him a week and stop mothering him. He's not a teenager and it's not like they were married."

Ian rolled his eyes."Y'know, I think you'd be pretty messed up if Spencer left you."

"That's true... He'd probably just be a drunken mess..." Tala smirked, chuckling at the thought.

Bryan glared at the two for a moment before shifting almost seamlessly into a malicious grin as he seemed to remember something. "Hey Ian, remember that crush you had on Max?"

Both Tala and Ian turned to Bryan with wide eyes."You said you say anything, you fuck!" Ian blurted, but immediately regretted it as Tala whipped around to glare at him.

"What?!"

Grinning up at a disapproving Spencer, Bryan plugged the last of the cables into the power bar. "And they're not getting any tonight..." He beamed when all the electronics beeped red 'off' lights. "And we've got life!" He cheered before turning to his friends. "Who wants pizza?!"

When Kai had decided to move, he hadn't expected Tyson to be so helpful. He left his old apartment to Max, and really wasn't fussy what he ended up in.

Ideally it wouldn't leak or have drafts.

Thankfully, Tyson was there to keep him from getting a complete shit-hole. The younger man was excited to help and very picky about where Kai was going to be living.

At least someone was.

It took a little while, but finally Tyson seemed to have the perfect one lined up, so he claimed. He explained that he knew the landlord, which always helped if it was a good catch, and that it was conveniently placed and had all the things he'd ever need right in the building.

So, Kai contacted the landlord and booked an appointment to see it.

It was a perfect fit; Affordable, spacious, right in the heart of the city, laundry facility, no drafts or leaks.

Kai really liked it.

Apparently the landlord wasn't native to the country, so everything they'd needed to go over was done by phone or email, and it was with wishful thinking that he might be able to catch the man on one of his few trips over to give him the signed papers.

He really didn't want to go back to the room and get them ready to mail, mostly because he didn't need the team scrutinizing everything in his life. He'd already read and signed the rental agreement, he just needed to give it back.

Kai sucked in a breath, hoped for the best and pressed 'call'.

It rang once.

Twice.

" _Aye_?" Bingo.

"Hey Johnny, it's Kai. Just about moved in, so I wanted to know what the arrangement is for the paperwork that needs to be sent back to you."

" _That's pure belter, Kai!_ " Kai could tell the man was pleased by his tone, so he assumed whatever 'belter' meant was good. " _I'm on third floor. Apartment 12. Stop in and I'll get the papers off ya._ " A pause. " _Oh and keep edgy for a dog,okay? He broke his leash again_ "

TBC


End file.
